Book Reviews

Something From Tiffany’s // Book Review

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About The Book
From international bestselling author Melissa Hill comes an adorable holiday romance about taking chances, falling in love, and trusting destiny. New York City at Christmas and a visit to Tiffany’s is a recipe to sweep a girl off her feet unless fate has other plans .
Buy The Book: https://amzn.to/3BDEvxt

My Rating

From the moment that I saw the trailer for the Amazon Prime original movie adaptation for this book I knew that I had to read it. A little fact about me is that I love Tiffany’s and think that something from Tiffany’s is one of the most romantic gifts you can give a person.

Also, I just want to mention that I think the version of this book I read, listened too on Audible, is the movie tie-in edition. I believe that the actual book is a bit different than the version that audible released.

This book is a fun fast paced story where two men accidentally swap Tiffany’s bags. Gary ends up giving his girlfriend Rachel an engagement ring. While Ethan’s girlfriend gets a charm bracelet. In the book, Ethan tries multiple times to get back his $20000 engagement ring, but his attraction to Rachel makes tell her the truth hard.

I loved all of Rachel and Ethan’s moments, because their chemistry was undeniable. They were so cute together even though they hardly knew each other. Rachel was a very forgiving person and tried to see the best in people especially her boyfriend Gary.

Ethan, a single father, was such a softy. If I spent $20000 on a ring I would have instantly told Rachel the truth, but he could bare to break her heart. As for Gary, I loathed him! He was selfish and toxic.

“Tiffany’s is a very special place filled with magic and romance.”

There wasn’t much too the plot besides the swap, but I was interested in see who things where going to turn out. I enjoyed all the character’s interactions, and their personalities, besides Gary. Also, there was a twist with Ethan’s girlfriend that I didn’t see coming.

My biggest con was the fact that everyone was lying to Rachel. Sure, we all want to protect the people we love but secrets are never the answer. They were willing to let her look like a fool instead of telling her the cold hard truth. I would much rather have someone I love be honest with me than ‘protect’ my feelings.

Overall, this was a cute Christmasy romance. The moral of the story is that everything happens for a reason, which I myself am a big believer of. Also, find someone that can bake you bread or in some cases just buy you some good bread. This book is perfect for Tiffany’s girls like me.

In the comments, tell me if you have ever or would ever like to receive a gift from Tiffany’s. Please like and share this post with others. If you are a fan of book reviews follow my blog so you get notified whenever there is a new post.

Until The Next Chapter,
Bunny

House of Hollow // Book Review

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About The Book
House of Hollow is the dark, haunting tale of three sisters shrouded in more mystery than they can even imagine. Since their strange, unsolved disappearance as children a decade before, the Hollow sisters have been plagued by the unexplainable. Lyrical prose and atmospheric world-building complete this eerie novel that will leave readers unsettled in the best way possible.
Buy The Book: https://amzn.to/3j6TKbS

My Rating

I had heard a lot of mixed things about this book, so I was nervous picking it up. But, the first chapter was creepy, and gripped me in a way that I instantly fell in love with the story.

The book follows 3 sisters; Iris, Grey, and Vivi, but the main protagonist is Iris. She is the youngest of the sisters, but had to grow up quite fast. Her sisters left home in their teens to follow their dreams, but Iris stayed behind with their mother.

Each of the sisters have very different personalities, but are all likable. Iris is smart and shy, while Grey, the oldest, is strong willed and confident. Vivi is rebellious and outspoken, which I loved.

The characters were actually not a big part of the story. We learned a little about them, but not a lot. However, I liked that it was less character focused but more plot driven.

In the book, the girls disappeared at a young age and returned out of the blue. They each handled the disappearance differently, which is very real. People deal with traumatic events in their own ways. Their is a small romance, but the main character didn’t necessarily have a love interest. It was nice to see that twist with the romance side plot.

For me, this book is magical realism at its finest! I would even compare the book to a Brothers Grimm type of story. It gave off such classic Grimm-esque vibes. Honestly, the writing was amazing. The author mixed fantasy, real world, and horror together perfectly.

“I’d realized there were scarier things in the world than the monsters that lived in my nightmares.”

There was also a moment when the book reminded me of Stranger Things. I must admit I’ve never seen the show, but I definitely got ‘Upside Down’ vibes when reading certain parts.

There are just so many good things about this story, one being the fact that I didn’t want to put it down. There was an amazing twist, but I did figure it out part of it beforehand. There were even some sad elements in the story.

Overall, I loved this book, and the ending worked so well. It was left open ended, but that made sense with the story. And, the message that not all evil is truly evil was conveyed perfectly.

Another great thing is all the LGBT+ and diversity in the book. However, one not so great thing is that the book has a lot of trigger warnings. I would probably say this book is a 16+ or maybe even 18+ read.

Before reading the book, visit Book Trigger Warnings for a list of all the topics the book touches on. Please support my blog by giving it a quick follow!

Until The Next Chapter,
Bunny

Eight Nights Of Flirting // Book Review

- Bunny Leave a comment

About The Book
There may be eight nights of Hanukkah, but 16-year-old Shira only wants one gift this year – a boyfriend. This sweet Hanukkah story full of the classic rom-com tropes we all know and love is a sparkling addition to holiday bookshelves.
Buy The Book: https://amzn.to/3Pn7viR

My Rating

 

Adorable, cute romance with excellent anxiety representation, is how I would describe this book. Right from the start I knew that I was going to fall in love with this story.

One of my favorite things about this book was that it was a Hanukkah and Christmas story in one. Also, I am a sucker for a good exchange of services story. So, plots where the characters agree to help each other out in a way. And, the fact that it was enemies-to-lovers didn’t hurt either.

I’m typically not a fan of characters that are desperate for a relationship, like Shira was in this book. However, the author handled the topic of wanting a relationship well. Shira suffered from social anxiety, which I found to be portrayed wonderfully. She didn’t want just a relationship but a partner someone to get her and make her not feel so alone.

Honestly, her reasoning for wanting a boyfriend was so real and what we all hope to get out of a relationship. The main love interest, Tyler, was actually pretty charming. Also, his reasons for hiding himself were also very realistic.

“Inside, we’re all sixteen-year-old fools about love. We want it to be eternal. Unbending.”

Besides being a romantic tale, there are other topics touched on in the book. There was this cool mystery side plot that was woven well into the overall story. And there’s the subject of happiness, and what it truly means to be happy. These both played a part in the story as well.

Overall, I will be reading more from this author every soon. I adored this book! It was the perfect fluffy YA holiday contemporary. And, it was a very fast read. If you are anything like me, you could finish this book in one sitting.

My only con is that YA books always make it seem like the end of the world if you never been kissed at sixteen. Nevertheless, to a teenager, it probably is embarrassing, but really nobody cares about that stuff when you’re older.

In the comments, let me know the cutest holiday book you’ve read. Don’t forget to hit the follow button before you leave.

Until The Next Chapter,
Bunny

The Christmas Clash // Book Review

- Bunny Leave a comment

About The Book
Sworn enemies from rival families, Chloe Kwon and Peter Li have always hated each other. But when their local mall is put up for auction right before Christmas, they band together to help save it, along with their families’ food court restaurants. This fun read will leave you nostalgic for that magical feeling of the mall at Christmastime.
Buy The Book: https://amzn.to/3hekMNY

My Rating

If you like a YA enemies-to-lovers, with a slight Romeo and Juliet aspect, then you should give this book a read. In the book, we follow two teens, Chloe and Peter, who’s parents run restaurants at the local mall. However, their parents are sworn enemies.

Chloe and and Peter are meant to be seen as enemies throughout the book, but I got more of a frenemies vibe from them. We hear a lot about how they dislike each other, yet their interactions during the story are fairly civil. And I could definitely see something developing pretty early on between them.

I found Peter and Chloe yo be likable characters. It was nice that they could be honest with each other. There were times that they would be snarky, or snap at one another, but they were mature enough to apologize for their attitudes.

The dialog between the two was funny and real. I could tell from the beginning that I was going to enjoy the story. Although the writing was good, it did feel very YA. But, not necessarily in a bad way, if that makes any sense.

“I was just thinking about us. And how I didn’t really know you just two months ago, and now I can’t picture life without you. It’s truly a Christmas miracle.”

There were a few heavy topic touched on in the book, one being that parenting is hard. Children don’t always see the struggles that parents have to go through. Things aren’t always easy when it comes to being a parent.

The other major subject that the book focused on was racism. First and foremost this is a YA romance, but it did showcase that racism is still a big part of the world we live in today. I think that the race issue was handled well, but not sure it fit with the story. I wanted a more light and fluffy Christmas read, yet it is still a serious issue, so it is good when books shed light on real world topics.

Overall, the story was cute, enjoyable, and a quick read. However, I did find the ending a little far-fetched. It was one of those cheesy, happy, everyone wins kind of endings that can be a little too much for me at times. Nevertheless, it was a good reading experience, and there was a subtle nod to food delivery apps that was a nice bonus.

In the comments, let me know if you are a fan of enemies-to-lovers. I myself cannot get enough of them. Don’t forget to follow my blog if you like bookish content.

Until The Next Chapter,
Bunny

The Christmas Murder Game // Book Review

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About The Book
Agatha Christie meets Clue in this delightful, tense manor house murder mystery. This clever murder mystery is the perfect gift for fans of classic mysteries, festive Christmas books, and armchair detective work. Twelve clues. Twelve keys. Twelve days of Christmas. But how many will die before Twelfth Night?
Buy The Book: https://amzn.to/3UBj1s0

My Rating

I had been looking forward to this book since I heard the plot, but sadly, it was a complete let down. When I think of this book, the word that comes to mind is ‘boring’. That’s not to say the plot was bad, because the story truly did have potential. However, it was executed poorly.

Most of the characters were unlikable or uninteresting. The tolerable characters played relatively small roles within the story. And, we didn’t get to know each person enough to fully understand them.

The main character, Lily, was okay, but I felt as though the author made her out to be this golden girl. She was smart, kind, and clearly her aunt’s favorite. At times, I could understand why her cousin, that aunt’s daughter, couldn’t stand her.

It was annoying that Lily never came to terms with her mothers death. Sure, finding her mothers body was terribly traumatic but it is infuriating when fictional characters ignore seeking help for something so obvious. You can only really move on once you have faced the loss.

“It’s cruel, when she thinks of it, to ask her to return to this house, with its secrets written on walls and she’s the one who has to strip back the wallpaper.”

Now the second half of the book was a lot faster-paced then the first half. Although, it was pretty clear to me who the killer was. I wasn’t completely correct on the killer, and didn’t guess their motive, but I was half right.

Overall, the book was slow, and the murder-mystery aspect didn’t actually take place until the halfway point. I will say that if you are looking for a book with a complicated family relationship in it, then you might want to give this one a read. Because family being ruthless is very central to the plot.

As for the writing style, it wasn’t horrible, so I might try to give this author another chance. This particular book just wasn’t for me. Also, there is a romance situation that I can’t talk about much since it’s a spoiler, but definitely research trigger warnings for this book before picking it up.

In the comments, let me know if you’ve read this book or are planning to. Don’t forget to support my book blog by giving a follow, too!

Until The Next Chapter,
Bunny

A Merry Little Meet Cute // Book Review

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About The Book
Cowritten by #1 New York Times bestselling author Julie Murphy and USA Today bestselling author Sierra Simone—a steamy plus-size holiday rom-com about an adult film star who is semi-accidentally cast as a lead in a family-friendly Christmas movie, and the former bad-boy pop star she falls in love with.
Buy The Book: https://amzn.to/3UtRnNB

My Rating

After reading the plot of this book, I was a little unsure if I should pick it up. Not only is it an adult romance, but it has a bit of a smutty romance element to it. I am neither a big fan of adult romance or smutty books. However, I decided to give it a chance.

The plot is fairly straightforward with a plus-size adult pornstar, Bee, and former boy-band member Nolan cast as the leads in a new Hallmark like holiday film. But, things get complicated when Nolan is a fan of Bee’s adult work and Nolan happens to be Bee’s childhood crush.

Honestly, I loved how the book normalized the adult film industry. Bee besides being a porn star has a CloserDoor account (think OnlyFans). The book showcased that sex workers deserve to be treated as humans and shouldn’t be shamed for their careers.

There were also a lot of funny moments, since many of the characters worked in the adult film industry. And, all characters were fairly likeable. It was nice to have a plus-size main character, especially one that has a job that is typically associated with a certain type of figure.

The book does touch on the fact that you have to pretend a lot in Hollywood, and that the media twist a lot of things. Also, I like how the authors mentioned that internet hate is real. The internet has made it okay for people to say the most hateful things, which is really sad.

“The literal bed could have been on literal fire, and I still would have been there, pumping into my girl like a man possessed.”

Something that I found interesting and refreshing was that both main characters are bisexual, which I find to be pretty rare. I also liked how the subject of Bipolar disorder was handled. Nolan’s mother struggles with the disorder, and the topic was handled in a very real way. As someone that has Bipolar disorder, I truly appreciated the authors take on it.

Now for the smut side of things. This book was spicy. I am not a smut reader so take this with a grain of salt, but I found the book to have a 3/5 spice level. Truthfully, the more smutty scenes were a little weird for me to listen to.

Overall, the concept was unique, yet it worked well. The ending was cute, and everything wrapped up with a nice little bow. I did get the subtle message that everyone – not even ‘Hallmark’ movie watchers – are squeaky clean. And, perhaps those types of networks should broaden their views.

In the comments, let me know if you have read this holiday romance. What would your smut rating be? Before you go don’t forget to like this post and follow the blog.

Until The Next Chapter,
Bunny

Summer’s Edge // Book Review

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About The Book
Twisting back and forth through time and various perspectives, this edge-of-your-seat thriller about a group of friends spending one last summer at the lake culminates in a shocking ending that will leave readers reeling.
Buy The Book: https://amzn.to/3AXutXK

My Rating

 

If you’re sole reason for reading this book is because it claims to be similar to ‘I Know What You Did Last Summer’, then pick another reason. Better yet, pick another book. The story started off pretty slow, and the writing style just wasn’t doing it for me. I decided to over-shoot my 30% rule to DNF, and give the book a chance to improve.

It didn’t get much better…

The book follows a group of friends that return to the beach house they spent most of their earlier summers at. However, the on the previous trip, something horrible happened. In the book, we follow Chelsea, who is an unreliable narrator. She thinks that she remember the previous summer, but in truth she has blocked a lot of things out. As you read, you can’t be sure if what she’s “remembering” is correct.

The book had so much promise, but a stunningly terrible execution. There was way too much going on. We had mediums, ghosts, and even time jumps. It was all over the place. It felt as though the author threw in a bunch of different spooky things to make the story more interesting. But for me, it was overwhelming to keep track of everything going on.

“Attics are places for secrets. Attics are places to hide. Attics are places to set traps for creatures that creep inside.”

However, there were some twists that were pretty shocking. Maybe a few too many twist, if you ask me. I will say one thing, it at least kept my attention. So, I guess I’m not too disappointed I stuck with it. I would say that this would probably do better as a movie, but only if the plot was more refined. I did like what the author did with ending and would pick up another book of theirs in the future.

Overall, I didn’t totally hate the story, especially since psychological thrillers are typically my favorite type of plot in books, movies, and shows. Yet, this one just wasn’t up to par. Also, please check out the trigger warnings for this book before picking it up.

In the comments, let me know if you have read this book. And, what is your favorite psychological thriller you’ve read. Don’t forget to share this post and give my little book blog a follow.

Until The Next Chapter,
Bunny

 

The Distance Between Us // Book Review

- Bunny 2 Comments

About The Book
A humorous love story about a girl who has her lifelong disdain of the wealthy challenged by the son of a hotel mogul, whose attention and loyalty almost convince her that being rich isn’t a character flaw, until she finds out that money is a bigger part of their relationship than she realized.
Buy The Book: https://amzn.to/3AOS6St

My Rating

If you like a rich-meets-poor, not broke, romance with a Gilmore Girls mother/daughter relationship, then you will enjoy this book. The main character, Caymen, is funny, friendly, and close to her mother. And her internal monologue was one of my favorite things about the book.

However, I wasn’t a fan of the fact that she didn’t really have much of an identity. She didn’t know who she was as a person, and spent most of her time helping her mother. Also, why do most YA contemporary characters have only one friend?

In the book, Caymen’s single mother runs a doll shop, which is pretty weird and unique. I don’t think I have ever read a book that includes a doll shop. I wasn’t a fan of her mother; she was kind of judgemental. She kept things from her daughter, and didn’t like the rich so she expected Caymen to, as well.

In the first chapter, Caymen meets Xander, and yes I would call it a meet-cute. There was an instant attraction that neither of them tried to hide. It was a very instant love romance, but there was a sort of love triangle added into the plot.

Similar to Kasie West’s other male love interests, Xander was charming and confident. However, by the end of the book I did wonder if he truly liked Caymen for who she was despite not having a ton of money.

“Feelings can be the most costly thing in the universe.”

I liked that even money was a big issue between the two characters. It showcased that not all rich people are snobs. Some people are simply jerks, and money has nothing to do with it.

By the end of the book, there was a big secret reveal. Though I didn’t get the point of the secret, I understand that parents sometimes lie to protect us. Still, don’t people know that the truth will always come out, eventually? But trust can never really be repaired once it’s broken.

My biggest con with the story was that there is a mention of a baby being a mistake. As someone that wants kids, but is struggling to conceive, this upset me. A child is never a mistake. Having a baby might not be the right choice for you, but that doesn’t make it a mistake or a life-ruiner.

Overall, I loved all the witty batter that Kasie West put into this story. And, it was a sweet romance as well. Also, Gilmore Girls is my all-time favorite show, so any book that reminds me of that is likel ya 5-star to me.

In the comments, let me know if you have read this book. Don’t forget to like and share this post with others! And, as always, remember to hit the follow button to get post notifications.

Until The Next Chapter,
Bunny

Fireworks // Book Review

- Bunny Leave a comment

About The Book
From the New York Times bestselling author of 99 Days and How to Love comes a stunning new contemporary novel—all about boy bands, girl bands, best friends, and first love—perfect for fans of Sarah Dessen and Morgan Matson.
Buy The Book: https://amzn.to/3AOS6St

My Rating

 

At first, I wasn’t as invested in the story as I would have liked to be. I was on the fence about Katie Cotugno’s writing, but it did grow on me as time went on. The plot of this book is ‘Making the Band’ meets YA contemporary. The main character, Dana, is level headed and realistic about her future. She doesn’t have the best home life with her single mom, and college is a pipe dream. Her best friend, Olivia, is destined for stardom, so when they both get picked to be part of a new girl group, they’re shocked, but excited.

I don’t know about you, but if me and my best friend got the chance to be in a music group together I would be over the moon. But, you could tell that Olivia was jealous, and somewhat put Dana down, instead of lifting her up. Dana, on the other hand, was supportive of her best friend, never forgot her roots, and worked hard to become a better performer. She was scared of turning out like her alcoholic mother and living in their small town forever, but she wasn’t bitter.

However, I will say that sometimes staying in the town you grew up in and marrying the farm boy isn’t the end of the world. Everyone’s hopes and dreams look different. But, Olivia seemed to think she was better than her friends, which rubbed me (and eventually Dana) the wrong way throughout the story.

This really is a book about unexpected fame and being a fish out of water. Dana had to deal with the pressures of stardom, catty girls, and feeling like she’s not good enough. Also, there was the mention of how paying $40 for a shirt is insane, and I must agree. Money wasn’t a huge topic in the story, but there is the notion that being pretty doesn’t mean you get anything you want.

“Can you allow for the possibility that you’re more special than you give yourself credit for?”

There was a ton of drama within the story, which wasn’t my cup of tea. We get jealousy, a love triangle, and backstabbing all in one book. The plot showed how jealousy can turn even the best of friends against each other. And by the end of things, you being to realize you were never truly friends at all.

As I mentioned, the book features a short lived love triangle that did nothing but add more drama to the plot. In general, the romance was cute, but why does every YA male fall for the average girl!? Can this cliche die already?

Overall, the message of the story was that with hard work and determination you can succeed at anything. You have the power to change your life and choose who you want to be. I enjoyed how the author ended Dana’s story, because she ended up finding herself. The message was conveyed well, but the execution wasn’t my favorite.

The book touches on topics like alcoholism and anorexia, so please keep that in mind before diving into this book. Don’t forget to like this post, and follow my blog for more bookish posts.

Until The Next Chapter,
Bunny

 

Places We’ve Never Been // Book Review

- Bunny 2 Comments

About The Book
A sweet and swoony contemporary Young Adult novel about a cross-country family road trip that puts one girl and her childhood best friend on an unexpected road to romance! Kasie West delivers another romantic and heartfelt story of family, first love, and how expanding your horizons can take you places you’ve never dreamed of.
Buy The Book: https://amzn.to/3TW7QtF

My Rating

I don’t know how Kasie West creates such amazing YA contemporaries, but I’m happy to read all of them! This book is a second chance romance, which isn’t my favorite, however I did enjoy West’s take on the trope. The main character Norah is a bit naive and weird, but being normal is vastly overrated. She wants to be a video game animator, which I loved. It is a career field that isn’t talked about a lot in books, so it was a cool addition to the story.

The plot follows Norah as she, and her family, embark on a 3 week road trip with some old friends. One being Skyler, who happens to be Norah’s former best friend. I found Skyler’s attitude towards Norah less than favorable. Some of the things he did rubbed me the wrong way, and were kind of cold. It goes to show that reconnecting with people isn’t easy.

In my opinion, he isn’t a fully developed character and is very wishy-washy. As I mentioned before, it was annoying how unfair to Norah he was throughout the book. She was nothing but nice to him, and still had a chip on his shoulder.

However, I liked that Norah called Skyler out on all his anger towards her. And, made him see that he changed as much as she did. The book touched on the topic of how sometimes we don’t show our true selves. That a lot of the time we forget who we are and change for others rather than for ourselves.

“Maybe we were our truest selves as children, before we let the expectations of everyone else dictate who we should be.”

But truthfully, the romance isn’t a huge part of the story. I know that is weird since it is a YA contemporary, yet I found it refreshing. Honestly, Norah and Skyler’s relationship developed naturally and they were immature teens.

I liked the sibling dynamic throughout the book. Norah and her brother acted like true siblings, and Skyler’s brother and sisters were likable characters as well. I loved Norah’s best friend Willow, because she was funny and understanding. Also, there is a lot of fun video game references in the story.

Nevertheless, there were some things I didn’t much care for. Like Skyler’s character and all his secrets. There was a lot of hiding things, and secrets coming out by the end of the book. And none of the twists were all that surprising.

Overall, the book was enjoyable, just as I expected. Still, I would classify this as my least favorite of Kasie West’s books. It isn’t as memorable-able as some of her other work. But for me, it was a cute story with wonderful writing.

Don’t forget to hit the follow button before you go, and leave a comment on this post.

Until The Next Chapter,
Bunny